Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
Movement analysis in GCSE PE uses two related models to describe how the body moves: lever systems and planes and axes.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Learn the three parts of every lever system: fulcrum (the pivot), load (the resistance being moved) and effort (the force applied, usually by a muscle).
- Learn the order of fulcrum, load and effort that defines each class: first class = fulcrum between load and effort; second class = load between fulcrum and effort; third class = effort between fulcrum and load.
- Learn that most levers in the human body are third class, because this arrangement favours a large range of movement and speed at the expense of mechanical advantage.
- Learn the three planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse) by what they divide the body into, and their matching axis (transverse axis with the sagittal plane, sagittal axis with the frontal plane, longitudinal axis with the transverse plane).
- Match each plane and axis pair to a simple named sporting movement, such as a somersault (sagittal plane, transverse axis), a cartwheel (frontal plane, sagittal axis) and a full twist (transverse plane, longitudinal axis).
- For 'identify' or 'state' questions, give the class of lever, or the plane and axis, precisely and by name. For 'explain' questions, justify the classification using the actual order of fulcrum/load/effort, or describe the movement that occurs in that plane.
Worked example
A gymnast performs a forward somersault during a floor routine. Identify the plane in which this movement occurs and the axis about which the body rotates, and justify your answer.
- Recall the three planes and what each one describes: sagittal (left/right split, forward-backward movement), frontal (front/back split, side-to-side movement), transverse (upper/lower split, rotational/twisting movement).
- A forward somersault is a rotation of the whole body forwards, head over heels, which is a forward-backward movement.
- Identify the plane: this forward-backward rotation happens in the sagittal plane.
- Identify the matching axis: rotation in the sagittal plane occurs about the transverse axis, the imaginary line running side to side through the body.
- State the final answer: the somersault occurs in the sagittal plane, about the transverse axis.
Practice questions
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Q1Name the three components of every lever system.Show answer
Answer: Fulcrum, load and effort.
Q2Which class of lever has the fulcrum positioned between the load and the effort?Show answer
Answer: First class.
Q3Which class of lever is most common in the human body?Show answer
Answer: Third class.
Q4Name the three planes of movement used in movement analysis.Show answer
Answer: Sagittal, frontal (coronal) and transverse.
Q5Which axis is paired with the sagittal plane?Show answer
Answer: The transverse axis.
Q6Which axis is paired with the transverse plane?Show answer
Answer: The longitudinal axis.
Q7In which plane does a cartwheel occur?Show answer
Answer: The frontal plane (about the sagittal axis).
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Physical Education exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
State the order of the fulcrum, load and effort in a second-class lever.
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A trampolinist performs a full twist, rotating around their long body axis while airborne. Identify the plane and axis involved, and explain your reasoning.
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Explain how the lever system model and the planes and axes model are both used to analyse sporting movement, using one named example for each model.
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See real GCSE Physical Education past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the movement analysis: levers, planes and axes worksheet pack - 11 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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